Roundel Zone

By 2003, I was only an occasional Roundel contributor, writing mostly about events in which I participated, such as One Lap of America or the Oktoberfest TSD rallies, or our 1999 trip to France to watch BMW win Le Mans. So I was a little surprised when editor Carlson asked if I could get myself to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to help cover the impending Jeff Gordon-Juan Pablo Montoya “Trading Paint” event. Brian Morgan would be there as Roundel’s motorsports editor, so I figured Satch must have had an extra press pass he didn’t want to waste.

When last we saw our Hack Mechanic and his 2001 325xiT wagon, the latter had the former in a dilly of a pickle. More specifically, while he was trying to remove the front axles to replace the failed CV boots and crunchy CV joints, the 18-mm pinch bolt that holds the left steering knuckle to the front strut sheared off, and while he was trying to drill out the sheared bolt, the carbide drill snapped off in the bolt.

My old friend and colleague Denise McCluggage died a week ago, and I have been mulling a proper response. Certainly my surviving colleagues have written with grace and heartfelt remembrance, even those who did not know that grand lady all that well. I especially liked Sam Smith’s elegy—you may read it here—because it reminded me of what an inspiration Denise was to so many.

As those of you who follow me on Facebook know, Maire Anne’s 2008 Honda Fit Sport five-speed got totaled. I wound up replacing it with a 2013 Honda Fit Sport five-speed, a repaired salvage car with very low mileage that I bought for a great price. I only mention this non-BMW-related tidbit because in the interim between the untimely departure of Fit A and the arrival of Fit B, I gave Maire Anne my 2001 E46 325xi wagon to drive. This left me daily-driving the Z3, which is anything but hardship.

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, a young man acquired a glorious new steed—a fiery red icon of conveyance. The youth came to know his new mount as they traveled over hills and rivers, exploring strange and wonderful new lands. They crossed a vast ocean and two continents to live together for many years in an area with blissfully perfect weather, before opportunity pulled them into a world of many climates. Humidity and snow took their toll, but the two wore their time and scars well.